All their writers weigh in. General consensus is 2nd in pacific and #7 seed. Bucher gives them the most love, saying they are a guaranteed 50 win team maybe 55 with a healthy Baron. Hollinjerk, trying to figure out how to make his calculator work with the dried semen still on the multiply function from thinking about the great Chuck Hayes, disses them, and swears to himself he'll actually get around to watching an NBA game this year:

1
Expert Picks

ANALYST PREDICTION
J.A. Adande
ESPN.com
PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 7 Now that the yellow T-shirts are fading, you might realize this team didn't qualify for the playoffs until the last game of the season and then played one great series. Can they play good ball for a full season, and do it without Jason Richardson?
Greg Anthony
ESPN.com PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 7 Leadership is a question here. Losing Jason Richardson is big, as will be the Baron Davis health watch. Troy Hudson could have a huge impact playing for Nellie.
Jon
Barry
ESPN.com
PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 7 Still a team no one wants to face in the playoffs. Champion level? No. Dangerous? Yes. (Ask the Mavs.) Although they played great against Dallas, when the Warriors went up against a bruising team like Utah, the need for a big man showed.
Chris
Broussard
ESPN Mag
PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 8 This is not a great team. It's a good, incredibly exciting team that caught a great matchup against Dallas last postseason. If Baron is healthy, in shape and committed, the Warriors will be arguably the most entertaining show in the league. If he isn't, the lottery could beckon.
Ric
Bucher
ESPN Mag
PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 6 Austin Croshere, Marco Belinelli and Troy Hudson just give Don Nelson more ways to find mismatches. If Baron Davis stays healthy -- always a big if -- they're a cinch for 50 wins. Maybe 55.
Chad
Ford
ESPN.com
PACIFIC: 3 | WEST: 10 The loss of Jason Richardson combined with no significant additions probably mean that they fall short of the playoffs. The team's at a crossroads. Their veterans and their coach want to win now, but at the expense of developing young players?
Jemele
Hill
ESPN.com
PACIFIC: 3 | WEST: 9 The Warriors don't strike me as the type of team that can handle expectations. I'm also not sure I'd bank on a team that named Stephen Jackson a captain.
John
Hollinger
ESPN.com
PACIFIC: 3 | WEST: 9 The Warriors run to end the season was amazing, but it's tough to catch lightning in a bottle twice. Richardson's departure leaves a hole on the wing, and Baron Davis' health is always a question.
Chris
Sheridan
ESPN.com
PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 7 I think we can all agree on one thing: The playoffs weren't as exciting last season after they went out. I'm expecting big things from Italian draft pick Marco Belinelli, especially if he beats out Monta Ellis for the starting 2-guard spot.
Marc
Stein ESPN.com
PACIFIC: 2 | WEST: 7 Except for a couple of seasons in the early 1990s, Golden State hasn't been able to call itself California's best team since the championship glory days of 1975. Until now. They really are Cali's finest.

TOTAL PACIFIC: 2.3 | Standings WEST: 7.7 | Standings

2

Hollinger Analysis

Team Strength: Speed
Even without Jason Richardson, the Warriors are blazingly fast and again figure to play the league's fastest pace. Don Nelson loves to play small wherever possible and space the floor with shooters, and has the resources to do it again.

Obviously it all starts with Baron Davis, a huge talent whose injury proneness and poor shot selection have provided the lone barriers to superstardom. He appeared to start conquering those demons last season, and if so he'll be an All-NBA player. His ability to push the pace and finish sets up everything else, while his ball pressure on defense forces opponents to play faster than they'd wish.

But there's plenty more.

Monta Ellis may be even faster in transition than Davis and should continue progressing in this third season. Matt Barnes, Kelenna Azubuike and Mickael Pietrus (if he stays) are jackrabbits too, while Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington are good shooters for their size who can fill lanes on the wing.

Additionally, even the big guys can move a little. Andris Biedrins is a good finisher, while newcomer Brandon Wright adds another dimension with his ability to flush in transition.

• John Hollinger's complete Warriors forecast Insider

3
Lineup Breakdown

STARTERS ANALYSIS
Baron Davis
Point Guard
6-3 | 215

MVP candidate if he picks up where he left off in playoffs.
Monta Ellis
Shooting Guard
6-3 | 177

Get this: He's starting because he missed too much time to learn the point.
Stephen Jackson
Small Forward
6-8 | 218

Vows this will be the season he's notorious for basketball only.
Al Harrington
Power Forward
6-9 | 245

Scouting report: Davis is one of the most athletic guards in the game and an absolute terror in transition because of his ability to pass or finish. At 6-3, 215 pounds, he can destroy smaller guards on the post-ups in the half court -- something he happily did to Dallas in the first round of the playoffs from his preferred perch on the left block.

Davis has a bad habit of getting 3-point happy and forcing long shots off the dribble, but he isn't a good shooter unless his feet are set and he's just catching and shooting.

His size and athleticism are huge weapons at the defensive end, too; Davis deserved far more All-Defense attention than he received. Davis ranked second among point guards in blocks per minute and third in steals per minute; he also was outstanding at pressuring the ball upcourt and his size allowed him to defend shooting guards in the half court.

Although his effort wasn't consistent every night, at his best there was nobody better, and he was at his best for all of the final two months of the season.

Injuries are an annual concern with Davis, who tends to pull hammys and groins quite a bit. He hasn't played more than 67 games in any of the past five seasons.

2007-08 outlook: Davis is entering a free-agent year (if he opts out of his contract), so if he can stay healthy for 70 games and control the urge to take horrible shots, he's going to make himself a very wealthy man. The Warriors are understandably reluctant to offer him a rich extension just yet; whether Davis can actually pull this off is in some doubt.

His talent, however, is not. Davis might play only 60 games, and he might force a ton of bad shots when he plays, but few guards possess this kind of talent. Look for three-quarters of an All-Star season from him again.

Way to hold it down, Bucher. After years and years of ignoring the Warriors, now you're finally starting to advertise that you're from the Bay again. Jeez, if one didn't know any better, they might think you're just hopping back on the wagon after years of writing off the Dubs like every other blowhard on ESPN's writing staff (Mark Stein excluded).

and I agree, 32, Bucher shows them proper love and knowledge of their improvements. Sheridan and Stein are also reasonable about it. According to the bald twins Hollinjerk and Ford, losing JRich outweighs getting Belinelli, Wright, Hudson and Croshere plus a $10 million trade exception I beg to differ

To Live is A Value Judgment - Albert Camus
3 reasons for living: Jazz, Hoops and women

They write based on their opinions and what they hear from others. Or at least that's how it seems. And of course, there's always the east coast bias. They don't watch much of games with teams in the West. Only the ones making a big splash like the Spurs, Suns, ect.